This invention is an improved body fluid interconnect device. It incorporates features for enhancing a quick disconnect and interconnect.
Such interconnect devices can connect filters to remove clots and extraneous material from the blood so that the blood can be returned to the patient. It also applies to oxygenators, which are well known in the prior art for oxygenating blood in a continuous cycle. Such oxygenators provide the function of the lungs during open heart surgery, so that the blood can be utilized by the body.
The interconnects are also used with cardiotomy reservoirs of the prior art which have also been known to have filtration systems as an option or in some cases eliminated. Cardiotomy reservoirs are currently an important and helpful adjunct to all apparatus during open-heart surgery.
An innovation of recent note has been the re-introduction of systems for providing autotransfusion which incorporates pleural drainage. Autotransfusion is the transfusion of the blood lost by a patient back to the patient. Autotransfusion also requires interconnects for transmission of body fluid.
A substantial example of usage of body fluid interconnects is within open-heart surgical procedures. Such open-heart surgical usage usually relies upon the withdrawal and introduction of fluids from a patient's chest cavity. The withdrawal of fluids is to not only drain the chest cavity of any blood loss, but also other fluids which are drained out of a patient's chest post operatively. The units to be interconnected comprise oxygenators, cardiotomy reservoirs, blood filters, cardioplegia devices and various canula for drainage and introduction of body fluids.
There is a significant drawback in converting such devices from intraoperative use to post operative use. The removal of tubing from barbed connectors, by design, is difficult at best. Ordinarily, the tubing is left on the connectors when the device is discarded in the operating room.
When a device is not discarded, certain tubing will have to be removed from certain barbed connectors. This removal typically requires cutting of the tubing at the connector, thereby increasing the risk of violating the sealing feature of the barbs, and/or personal injury. This is also difficult to accomplish while maintaining aseptic technique.
The significance of having quick interconnects and disconnects for body fluid is therefore appreciated by those skilled in the art.
This invention provides an interconnect inventively over the prior art. This avoids the problem of when PVC or other plastic tubing flows into the grooves and over the lands of a barbed fitting.
In order to accomplish this, a pair of tangs, barbs, jaws or grips engage the upright surfaces which are associated with prior art ports. The tangs or jaws are connected to levers which can be depressed to open up the jaws and spread the tangs.
The tangs serve to lock the interconnect to the flange of a barbed port to provide a seal. The seal is provided in part by a resilient inner sealing portion of the interconnect.
The resilient portion is formed in the interconnect by a deformable plastic seat. The deformable plastic seat receives the end of the barbed fitting of the port. This in turn seals the interconnect.
The seat is sufficiently resilient to allow a sloping shoulder of the barb to expand it and provide a frictional seal in cooperation with the seat and end of the barb. Thus, an improved quick connection and interconnection can be established with a barbed or other like connector.
All the foregoing features are different from the known prior art, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,720, dated Mar. 1, 1977, which although incorporating levered barbs differs in its sealing function.